Architecture Thesis Book - Treasures of the Past by Ahmad Mansour

TREASURES OF THE PAST AHMAD MANSOUR

TREASURES OF THE PAST AHMAD MANSOUR A thesis book for the Final Architectural Project submitted to the Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, Art, and Design, American University in Dubai In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of

Bachelor of Architecture FALL 2021

APPROVAL Approval of the Thesis Book for Final Architectural Project Department of Architecture, School of Architecture, Art, and Design, American University in Dubai

Student’s Full Name: Ahmad Mansour

Thesis Book Title: Treaseures Of The Past

Student Signature:

Advisor / Professor Name: Annarita Cornaro

Advisor / Professor Signature:

Date: Dec 15, 2021

DEDICATIONS I dedicate this book to my family which has been always supporting me and pushing me to the far limits, to all my teachers in school and university whom I admire and respect, to my friends and close ones who were the reason of my success, and to all my colleagues in the school of Architecture at AUD whom with I had great five years that will stay in memory. For the love you have provided, the knowledge you have delivered, and for the unforgettable times I had with you.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I would like to express my special thanks to my professor Dr. Anna Cornaro for all the support, guidance, and care that she provided and for being patient and enthusiastic about this thesis. Also, special thanks to the American Univeristy in Dubai’s library which provided valuable resources.

Thank You

CONTENT SECTION I 1. UAE Aiming for Identity 1.1 Expo 2020 logo 1.2 Time-lapse & value of World Fairs 1.3 Power of media in 21st century

2. Archaeology 2.1 What is archaeology? 2.2 A short history 2.3 Value of archaeology

3. The Museum of Archaeology

4. Understanding Heritage

3.1 Definitions

4.1 What, who, where, when & why?

3.2 History of archaeology museum

4.2 Tangible & intangible heritage

3.3 Architecture & archaeology

4.3 Value of heritage

8. Archaeology in the UAE 8.1 History of Archaeology in the UAE 8.2 Archaeological sites - Timeline

7. UAE Heritage 7.1 UAE culture & heritage 7.2 Traditional architecture

5. Understanding Cultural Identity

6. Architecture & Identity

5.1 What, Who, Where, When & Why?

6.1 Architecture as a communication system.

5.2 Impact of globalization on identity.

6.2 Building’s identity & heritage representa-

CONTENT SECTION II Case Studies

SECTION III Site Analysis & Concept Development

ABSTRACT In November 2013, Dubai, among other contenders such as Izmir, Sao Paulo, and Ekaterinburg, has been awarded the right to host the Expo 2020 which has officially opened its doors on the 1st of October 2021 for a period of six month ending with the 31st of March 2022. Each country has its own pavilion that represents it. Therefore, there are 192 national pavilions that represent their countries. In addition to many other pavilions that place daily events, workshops, and lectures for all visitors. The Expo 2020 logo was chosen after a competition between more than 15000 participations. The winning logo is inspired by a golden ring that was discovered in an archaeological site that dates back to the Iron Age.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid the ruler of Dubai said, “The design of the logo is inspired by a civilization that existed 4,000 years ago”, and he adds “The Expo 2020 logo represents our message to the world that our civilization has deep roots. We were and will always be a pot that gathers civilizations and a center for innovation.” The site was then called Saruq Al Hadid, and it was discovered by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid in 2002 as he was flying in the sky of the Empty Quarter desert 60 Kilometers south of Dubai. Since its discovery in 2002, more than 3500 archaeological antiques have been found and unearthed in the site. Those found archaeological pieces are now exhibited in Saruq Al Hadid temporary museum that takes place in the old historical house of Sheikh Jumaa Al Maktoum that was built in 1928 in Al Shandagha districts.

UAE is giving great attention and care to archaeology and aiming to develop the national identity of the country by reviving its ancient times, promoting its archaeological record, and developing public connection with archaeology.

SECTION I RESEARCH Archaeology & Cultural Identity

CHAPTER I

“The Expo 2020 logo represents our message to the world that our civilization has deep roots. We were and will always be a pot that gathers civilizations and a center for innovation.”

Skh. Mohammed bin Rashid

UAE AIMING FOR IDENTITY

1.1

Expo 2020 Logo

On the first of October 2021, Dubai has witnessed the opening of expo 2020. This achievement is the first of its kind to occur in a city of the middle east over the last 150 years which shows the level of importance and power that Dubai has reached. Expos or world’s fairs are enormous international exhibitions where various industrial, scientific, and cultural items are showcased in a specific site for a period of time ranging often between three and six months. These expositions serve a purpose of enacting future visions and exhibit cultural identities between all participated countries.

Expo 2020 Logo

Throughout history, the race and competition between all countries in world’s fairs resulted in great achievements and developments. These great exhibitions experienced different timelapses. Since the first expo 1958 in Brussels, Belgium, till the 1970 expo in Osaka, Japan, expos were places that hosted tens of millions of visitors. However, in the postmodern age, expos seemed to be losing legacy and significance. First with the so-called special exposition in Budapest, Hungary 1971, and last with the international specialized expo in Plovdiv, Bulgaria 1991. Several exhibitions were held in different countries within this period of time but were not as significant as the world exhibitions before for reasons such as the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union in Europe.

Time-lapse

In 1992, the world experienced a spectacular comeback of legacy of the world’s fairs with the Seville world exhibition in Spain and later in Hanover, Germany 2000, Aichi, Japan 2005, Shanghai, China 2010, and Milan, Italy 2015. These expos hosted more than 135 million visitors together. What has changed? The reason behind this comeback is globalization and the rise of the new information technologies. The world became more connected and witnessed a revolution in media and information technology. Social media in the age of information has significant power, and it is a key feature that enhances connections and socializing between the world’s different cultures. The last five world’s fairs were highly impacted by media and advertising which allowed for better reach to different parts of the world.

What Has Changed?

Social media and advertising also play a great role in Dubai expo 2020, and they are platforms that inform people from all parts of the globe about expo 2020 and digitally showcase to them what is there. Therefore, Dubai leadership, considering the power of social media, have decided to develop strong advertising through the design of the expo site and the expo logo. The expo site is divided into three districts which are mobility, opportunity, and sustainability, and the expo logo, being a symbol of the past, is a ring that is inspired by a piece of archaeology which was found in one of Dubai’s archaeological sites, which is a clear vision of linking the future aspirations with the past of this country.

CHAPTER II

“He who does not know his past, cannot make the best out of his future.” Shk. Zayed bin Sultan

ARCHAEOLOGY

2.1

What is Archaeology?

Generally, the word archaeology is very much linked with digging because that is what is often seen in TV and media; however, it is much more than that. Not all archaeologists are earth diggers. The word archaeology is rooted to the Greek word “Arkhaiologia” which refers to the discourse of ancient things. Today, archaeology can be defined as the study of the human past through the material traces of it that has survived. William Camden, the first great English archaeologist, describes archaeology as a desire to know about the past. The field is not limited to land, but investigations could include the underwater, aerial photography, animals’ behavior, traditional craftsmanship, or farm-ology.

What is Archaeology?

In other words, the whole planet is like an oyster to an archaeologist, and he/she could choose any place and any period of time to investigate. The first known archaeologist was the ruler of Babylonia, the capital city of Mesopotamia, Nabonidus. In the 6th century BC, he unearthed traces of foundation stones of the temple of Naram-Sin dates back 3,200 years. In addition, the Romans, under the rule of Julius Caesar 81 - 45 BC, have discovered several tomb structures and antiquities when colonizing Italy and Greece. In the 16th century, Antiquaries in Europe started to have interest in the historical monuments and the study of their past. Later in the 17th and 18th century, there have been more systematic interest and a lot of excavations, but few included precise dissection.

A Short History of Archaeology

Archaeology was only until the early-mid 19th century to be considered as a scientific and systematic approach to the study of the past. And by late 19th century, it was not a treasure hunt anymore, but it became more of a search for information to answer specific questions about the past and human civilizations. Furthermore, procedures of excavations became more careful and at a lower pace instead of the past methods which used pickaxes and sometimes explosives for excavations.

Pompeii & Herculaneum Mount Vesuvius in Italy burst like a big cannon on August 24, 79 AD. The volcano erupted and created a massive fount of ash, red-hot lava, boulders, and smoke. The sun had disappeared in the haze, and the sky had darkened. The ash blanketed the neighboring towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii like thick snow. An avalanche of boiling fumes, dirt, and rocks tumbled down the mountain slopes around midnight, crashing onto the two Roman cities.

A Short History of Archaeology

The town of Herculaneum had completely disappeared from the horizon, and only the tops of the tallest buildings of Pompeii were popping out of the massive volcanic mounds. Those mounds covered below hundreds of people and buried a whole civilization of its own. Then passed seventeen centuries of absolute silence in the site. Only until the early 18th century that human activity began to uncover bits of the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. A farmer was digging a well, and luckily found pieces of sculpted marble. Then workmen were sent underground to uncover further findings, and three female statues were found unscathed! Later on, more excavations and unearthing took place in those two Roman towns buried under the volcanic ash, and from this, the science of archaeology emerged.

A Short History of Archaeology

Archaeology began to develop in the 19th century as a science based on discovery. In the early 20th century, there has been a dramatic increase in professionalism in archaeology, and archaeological discoveries of great magnitude took place. Among these were, . By 1930s, professional archaeologists started to teach in universities in growing numbers, and slowly, archaeology’s footprint has gone out of Europe and the Middle East to a global scale where excavations started to take place in parts of Africa, Southwest America, and North America.

In the academic world, archaeology is regarded as a very special craft that cannot be linked directly to the needs of human beings, unlike medicine and engineering for example. In this case archaeology is much similar to art. A small piece of stone can have a great value that money cannot buy, and it all depends on the story behind it.

Value of Archaeology

For example, the black stone on the Yamani corner of the Kaaba, the holiest shrine for Musilms in Mecca, is simply a normal black stone. However, its great value for Muslims comes from the story of prophet Muhammed PBUH when he lifted the stone with his companions using a piece of fabric and placed the stone in its current position. Therefore, the black stone now represents an identity for all Muslims around the world. The relationship and relevance of archaeology to the public is subject to debate. Public archaeology did not start with museum spaces, however, it started as a community interaction and relationship with previous excavated historical sites or with sites under excavation that attracted people of the neighboring lands. The process of involving the public with archaeological, historical, and art-historical antiques is commonly referred to as public involvement with archaeology.

Value of Archaeology

It aims to familiarize the public with the approaches used by professionals in archaeology and related fields. It is also supposed to enhance the public’s interest by sharing either specialized knowledge in an accessible format or glimpses of the experiences and problems experienced by curators, archaeologists, and art historians in their respective fields. One of the main objectives of archaeology is to justify the findings and convey a meaning to the public. Archaeology presentation used to be simply placing the artefacts in glass boxes along with some information explaining their stories and history. However, recently, archaeologists have realized that their approaches and choices of artefacts to be presented have the ability to convey messages and ideas of their society’s culture, religion, or politics. The story telling of the past is now affected by the archaeologist’s background and beliefs, and the actual story might not be the presented one.

CHAPTER III

There is much more happening in backstage.

The Museum of Archaeology

3.1

Definitions

Museums are not only places where objects are exhibited to people. There is much more happening in backstage. Not all collections are presented, and not all presented pieces are of actual collections. Museums differ in the selection of pieces to be exhibited to public. Many factors affect the choices of selections. In often cases, especially in museums of archaeology, many collections can be similar in type, scale, and meaning, thus not all would be presented. In other cases, one piece might be of a greater value, and there might not be any other piece on the planet that has the same value. One example is “Lucy”, a skeleton fossil of an ancestor type of Homo Sapiens who lived in Ethiopia 3.2 million years

Definitions

ago, which was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 by a team of American paleoanthropologists. In the National Museum of Ethiopia, a replica of Lucy is exhibited. However, the real skeleton of Lucy is stored in the safe laboratories of the museum because of the rareness of the skeleton. In addition, the skeleton is set to tests and research of significant value. Therefore, the museum is not only the exhibition space but also the collections that are not exhibited to public. The word “Museum” was originally derived from the Greek word “Mouseion”. The word referred to the muses in Greek culture of the past. They were considered as goddess deities of art, dance, music, and wisdom in Greek mythology. Museum as a word has entered the English language only by early 17th century. The museum did not appear suddenly to be the way people know it today. It has gradually developed and transformed differently from a place to another, and it started mainly as private then slowly developed to be open to public in the late 18th century. The evolution of public and private transportation gave people easier reach to museums.

History of archaeology museum

Museums in general are made for the purpose of collecting, preserving, interpreting, and educating. They also give opportunities for researchers to develop their research in all fields of study such as science, medicine, art, and culture. These purposes are strong enough to make museum spaces crowded with people. The past that is presented to the public is crucial to be dealt with. The way archaeology is presented, and the way people experience their visits to spaces of archaeology can be informative or ambiguous, truthful or deceiving, entertaining or dull. The selection of pieces to be displayed is also an important element, whether to put together antiques from the same place, same type, or same period. The context and the historical period are elements that the visitor needs to feel and be part of as imagining to be there at the time of those civilizations.

Architecture & archaeology

In the 19th century, museums of archaeology became more public and more accessible. Archaeology museums spread publicly, as governments gradually realized the importance of archaeology and preserving the ancient antiques. The rise of museums of archaeology that are open to public in the 19th century was driven by colonialism and nationalism. The archaeology museums were implicated to deliver consciousness that is true or false depending on how it serves the goals of colonialism. Museums were also used as tools that portray and stereotype ethnic groups that were being celebrated, identified, or invented. Later on, in the post-colonial era, archaeology practices became more controlled in a careful way.

CHAPTER IV

You don’t stumble upon your heritage. It’s there, just waiting to be explored and shared.

Robbie Robertson

UNDERSTANDING HERITAGE

4.1

Cultural Heritage

Although the term “heritage” has been around for a long time, the lexical idea of “heritage” in the realm of culture appears to be relatively new. The word gained traction in the 1970s after UNESCO began using the term “World Heritage” in 1972. Gradually, the term has replaced earlier words for naming elements such as a masterpiece or a historical monument, bringing with it a new notion that has been researched by several experts and scholars over the last twenty years. Some scholars refer to cultural heritage as monuments or groups of buildings and sites. Other meanings emphasize on the the cultural diversity of heritage s in Montreal City’s Heritage Policy (2005) where “heritage means any assets or group

Cultural Heritage

of assets, natural or cultural, tangible or intangible, that a community recognizes for its value as a witness to history and memory” The word heritage can refer to something that can be inherited from one generation to another, mainly something that have cultural or historical value. It might be a physical object, which is referred to as tangible heritage. An example of tangible heritage can be the artefacts or structures that lasted from the ancient civilizations to the present day such as the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. or it could be some theoretical aspects and ideas such as religion and oral traditions, which are referred to as intangible heritage.

Intangible Heritage

Intangible cultural heritage is defined by UNESCO as “practices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills – as well as the instruments, objects, artefacts, and cultural spaces associated with them – that communities, groups, and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.” The concept of heritage is intertwined with another social limit which is identity. Rather than referring to similarities, identity refers to what differentiates, and heritage also shares the role of differentiating by its unique and special nature. However, the two concepts are not constant: identity and heritage get their value only of being within their contexts. Identity is determined by factors such as family, geography, culture, or nation. In the same way, the meaning of heritage is determined by the social group that uses it to define itself.

Intangible Heritage

Heritage cannot be observed objectively as it does not even exist for it to be discovered. It is a product of those who claim for it and thereby change how others view it. As a result, heritage becomes a phenomenon in the sense of anything can be perceived.

CHAPTER V

“In the social jungle of human existence, there is no feeling of being alive without a sense of identity.”

Erik Erikson

UNDERSTADING CULTURAL IDENTITY

5.1

Cultural Identity

In a paper that examines the relationship between archaeology and cultural identity, Irmawati Marwoto have studied a case in Indonesia with the people of Banten. The intangible tradition of Banten people and their knowledge in ornaments was almost forgotten, and it has been then rediscovered through artefacts of pottery fragments that date back to the sixteenth century AD. Archaeological research that has been carried out in the Old Banten has found a variety of artefacts: tens of thousands of ceramic fragments, the remnants of tools made of metal, coins, and hundreds of thousands of clay fragments. The huge number of clay objects shows that clay played an important role in people’s lives

Cultural Identity

during the Sultanate of Banten. These artefacts became a marker of the cultural identity of Banten people today. Cultural identity can be defined as the feeling of identity of an individual influenced by his/ her sense of belonging to a group or culture. Qualities of similarity and difference are keys to identity, and it is highly linked to the place that is distinguished by a certain climate, geography, culture, language, and architecture. In addition, pictures of identity strongly rely on memory and past of a specific place and a group of people. The search for identity can be, in other words, described as the search for a sense of belonging to the place. This is linked to the everyday items such as

Impact of Globalization on cultural identity

language, dress, food, and also linked to the local architecture of the place. John Tomlinson, an American author, said: “national identity has been the most successful modern mode of orchestrating belonging.” Globalization is a phenomenon that has been affecting trade, industry, and commerce globally. It is similar to how colonization has impacted the countries that are being colonized. There has been an exchange in all aspects of life between the countries such as culture, language, religion, education, and commerce. It is much like the Colombian Exchange when Europeans reached the Americas for the first time with Christopher Columbus. It was the beginning of modernity and the new world as the effects and exchanges between different countries and cultures have reached a global scale.

Impact of Globalization on cultural identity

All nations of the world have been influenced by others, however, the effects of globalization and the exchanges between countries have not been equal in all parts of the world. Colonization played a major role and affected the way certain nations respond to globalization. For example, since the 15th century, the colonization of West Africa by the Europeans has left traces that lasted till the modern day. The local people of West African countries have adopted the practices that were introduced by Europeans and have slowly neglected their own practices and traditions. That, therefore, was not an equal exchange between the two sides. With globalization, the way people feel of their place has changed. The meaning and the sense of place has gradually been fading. The places and the buildings that give distinctive meaning to them are thought to be losing their unique identities. The era of globalization has allowed the same things to be

Impact of Globalization on cultural identity

found everywhere around the globe: Same languages, same lifestyles, and same products. Even local architectural styles have been dominated by the new international styles, and architecture in general gradually went away from the traditional aspects and local identity of the place. Therefore, in a world of similarities, a need of distinction arises. But what exactly is identity in architecture? “The Question of Identity in Design” by Moraes Zarzar investigates the link between remembrance and ideology, precedents and meaning. It questions if it is feasible to incorporate a sense of identity in the imagery and design of buildings and spaces based on precedents. Precedents are examples of previous experiences in the form of concepts, principles, or situations. By analogy, they are utilized to explain particular events, address present issues, or act as criteria for judgments.

Impact of Globalization on cultural identity

Identity in architecture was not yet a meaningful discourse until the early 19th century. The need for identity evolved with time, and the response of architecture evolved as well. Architecture and its notions of representation seemed to be a very powerful and efficient tool that conveys identity. The architectural identity is mainly based on three identification criteria, those are identification with reference to history/time, place/space, and concept/idea. The buildings do not speak, but we make them deliver specific meanings and messages with unspoken language.

Architecture and Identity

One may wonder whether we should accept the cultural homogenity of the world in the globalization process. In her paper “The question of identity in design”, Karina Zarzar focuses on the concept of identity in modernity and question particularly whether it is feasible to develop places and buildings that express the concept of identity in a globalized world. When an architect’s work, for example, is recognized as a brand, it is more likely to refer to his/her identity when analyzing other structures that were designed by another architect. For example, we might refer to a bridge as a Calatrava bridge even though it was not created by him, such as the Erasmus bridge in Rotterdam, because it has many features that are similar to those bridges designed by Santiago Calatrava.

Architecture and Identity

The implementation of identity in architecture could be for the purpose of reviving precedents such as culture and heritage. However, architecture could also have a major role in creating a new identity for a specific place. One example can be the Frank Gehry’s Guggenheim Museum at Bilbao with its “Bilbao Effect”. The Bilbao effect is a term that has been used continuously after the construction of the museum which reinforced back the industry and the economy of the city with its iconic style. Frank Gehry says: “I have been asked to be hired to do the Bilbao effect in several occasions for clients from different part of the world”. The term is now an identity for the city of Bilbao.

CHAPTER VI

“Knowledge of heritage emits ideas and illuminates the path of life.”

Shk. Zayed

UAE HERITAGE

6.1

Traditional Architecture

Prior to the twentieth century, the Emirates’ principal source of wealth was commerce and fishing. Each town was built on a waterway or peninsula with good access to the sea and an agricultural hinterland. Julfar, the most renowned of these settlements (now defunct), had significant contacts with East Africa, India, and the Far East throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. The Emirates’ location on the Gulf coast also meant that the country was significantly impacted by its neighbor Iran. This impact may be observed in Dubai’s Bastakiya neighborhood, which grew as an offshoot of the Iranian city of Bastak. Today, the Bastakiya area is known for its wind-towers, which are a defining feature of the neighborhood.

Traditional Architecture

Coral, mud brick, dry stone, wood, and thatch were the traditional building materials in the UAE. The primary construction material on the shore was coral gathered from coastal reefs. There were two types of construction: uneven rubble blocks placed into a thick mortar known as’sarooj,’ and thin coral slabs used as panels between load-bearing pillars. Mangrove wood from East Africa was utilized to reinforce walls as well as roof beams. Mangrove poles had a maximum length of 3.5 m, imposing a rigorous geometry on the coastal dwellings. Ceilings supported by mangrove beams were composed of date-palm wood boards that were occasionally painted.

Modern Architecture

Before the oil, the Gulf region’s population had a basic and traditional way of life. The major sources of income for the residents were date crops and sheep herding. The region’s vernacular architecture represented its social and cultural beliefs. It adapted to the tough natural environment by developing unique solutions for the generally hot-arid climatic conditions. Following the discovery of oil in the 1960s, economic affluence allowed for fast transformation in the society’s social and cultural norms. The United Arab Emirates, like many other Third World countries, was keen to emulate the Western model of modernization and prosperity. As a result, the urban environment was altered to accommodate the new goals. Contemporary structures replaced vernacular architecture, and the residents’ traditional way of life was turned into a modern one.

Modern Architecture

The rising economic prosperity stimulated the adoption of advanced building technologies and materials. Foreign and indigenous architects have contributed to the development of new architectural styles in the region. Air conditioning units replaced the conventional wind catchers in all structures. The construction sector pioneered the use of concrete, steel, glass, and other contemporary building materials. Shiny glass towers reflecting the sun’s rays have forever altered the urban environment of Gulf cities.

CHAPTER VII

“An Archaeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets, the more interested he is in her”

Agatha Christie

ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE UAE

7.1

Brief History of the UAE

When the UAE is to be mentioned in the subject of history, the image that first comes to mind is the very young nation that was merely an empty desert land, and that the UAE was very recently to be occupied and be house of modern civilizations. It is true that the country was very recently to be developed and reach a global scale in economy, commerce, and industry. It is also true that the discovery of oil was a major event that allowed for massive improvements and rapid evolution of the country. However, little is known by the people of the UAE about the history of the region way before the union of the emirates.

Brief History of the UAE

In the year 1969, two years before the trucial states get united under the so-called United Arab Emirates, the population was estimated to be around 180,000 people only. By 2021, and within a period of five decades, the UAE became house for more than 11 million people of whom less than 10 percent are UAE nationals. The city of Dubai has boasted the construction of the tallest building in the world in the current time the Burj Khalifa, the construction of one of the busiest Airports in the world the Dubai International Airport, and the creation of its own metro line that served people since 2009.

Brief History of the UAE

The UAE is a country of rapid evolution, and oil discovery, being a major turning point, was not the only force that allowed the country to develop fast. Around mid-twentieth century, the first oil was discovered in the UAE, and it was the achievement that gave the nation the initial push to development. The earnings from oil dominated the economy in the first two decades of its discovery, and it covered the highest percentage of around two thirds of the gross domestic products. However, in the later three decades and until today, the dependance on oil has declined drastically, and the percentage of oil as a source of income in the gross domestic products has decreased steadily to be less than 5 percent in 2006. The decrease in the percentage of oil production of the GDP is not because of running out of oil, however, within a short period of time, other means of production and economy arise in the UAE such as trade, construction, and services to be overwhelming the oil industry. UAE gradually became a great attraction to traders, workers, and tourists from all around the world. The nation became an icon worldwide, and it broke high records in fields such as construction, entertainment, and tourism.

History of Arcaheology in the UAE

The record of archaeology in the UAE is rich. The region is shown to be integrated in trade from ancient times along the trade line between Mesopotamia (North) and India (Southeast). In addition, the position of the UAE along the Arabian Gulf has been a pathway for the spreading of mammalian fauna and Homo Sapiens from Africa to Asia and the eastern world. Traces and footprints of mammals that date back to the ages before man 5 to 8 million years ago were found in the UAE in one of the longest preserved fossilized trackways in the world, and excavations have unearthed in 2002 a 1.93 meters long ancient elephant tusk in Abu Dhabi. Evidence from the Paleolithic age (2.5 million - 12,000 years ago), Neolithic age (8000 – 4000 BC), Bronze age (3200 - 1000 BC), Iron age (1200 – 600 BC), pre-Islamic, and early Islamic civilizations have been found in excavations that took place in different parts of the UAE from islands to coast lands, to oasis lands, to mountains.

SITES TIMELINE Archaeological Period

Hili Site

Mleiha

Bronze and Iron Age 3000 - 1000 BC

Um al-Nar 2500 – 2001 BC Iron age 1200 – 600 BC Achaemenid Period 550 - 330 BC

Saruq Al Hadid

Iron age 1200 – 600 BC

Ad Dour

Jumeira Site

Roman period 30 BC - 500 AD

Abbasid 900 - 1100 AD

SITES TIMELINE Excavations

Hili Site

Jumeira Site

1960

1969

Mleiha

Ad Dour

Saruq Al Hadid

1970

1986

2002

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

7.2

Hili Site 1960

The Hili archaeological site, in the oasis of Al Ain, shows the first known evidence for an agricultural village in the UAE, and that village is called site 8 that dates back to the Bronze and Iron Age 3000 BCE. Other places in the site include burial grounds, forts, and agricultural infrastructure. All artefacts found in the site are now exhibited at Al Ain National Museum. The site showed the largest collection of tombs and buildings from Umm an-Nar period. Excavations at Hili suggested a gradual transition from a nomadic lifestyle with minimal agricultural activity to an oasis economy around 2500 BC.

Hili Archaeological Site 1960

Hili is home to a large Iron Age settlement. Many graves were built in the settlement, and there is evidence of snake cults and rituals, which appeared to be a common element of excavated sites in the area. In Hili, the funerary architecture is impressive. A big circular tomb has been restored and exposes a number of elegant relief carvings that appear to have acted as an ornamental feature in of some of the large tombs. One of the most common architectural forms in the Gulf is the large watchtowers with examples found from northern islands of Kuwait to the lands of Oman. It is argued by archaeologists that the watchtowers found in Hili were an invention of the people of Hafit (a mountain near Al Ain and Al Buraimi, Oman). The towers have had a great survival as they have continued to be built in Oman in modern times. The watchtowers found at Hili suggest that the people needed to have some kind of protection from rustlers.

Hili Archaeological Site 1960

Hili has the biggest collection of tombs and structures from the period of Umm an-Nar in the UAE. The existence of multiple tombs at Hili shows the need for more room for the dead. Tomb A is a remarkably well-preserved tomb that had two levels. The lower level was underground and consisted of four chambers. It was utilized for primary deposits, while the upper level was probably used for cremation of disassembled corpses. Tombs from Umm an-Nar period often included a big number of corpses, and there are more than 300 found at Hili North Tomb A. In addition, pits containing bone and artifacts were discovered immediately outside of Tomb N, suggesting that tombs were cleaned out on a regular basis and bone and artifacts were taken and redeposited in outer pits to create way for further interments in the main structure. Furthermore, human remains that have been burned have been discovered in Hili Tombs A and N which suggests that the use of fire for a secondary treatment of human remains was widespread throughout this time period.

Hili Archaeological Park

Spoutedjug Pottery 1st Millinium BC Saruq Al Hadid site

In 1970, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan has established the Hili Archaeological Park to invite visitors to enjoy with their families at the park while having easy access and view to the remains and archaeologies. The Park at Hili allows visitors to walk in between the archaeologies and get to know the past and history of the site. It is centralized by the Hili Grand Tomb 2000 BCE which is built in a circular form, and it extends twelve meters in diameter and four meters in height. Greenery and water features were introduced in the site to provide fresh air, healthy, and peaceful environment for the visitors. In addition to playgrounds for kids and for sports that are situated along with seating areas and Cafes. Therefore, the park is prepared and planned to serve as a place where families and groups of people enjoy their time together while being surrounded by history and archaeology.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

7.3

Jumeirah site 1969

In Dubai and closer to the coastline lies the Jumeirah archaeological site which was once a port town in the 11th century AD. In an interview, Yaqoub Yousef, the principal of archaeology department at Dubai Municipality, explains that the archaeological site in Jumeirah was unique as it was almost a complete city with a Muslim community. It had all what occupants needed to live and stay at the site. It dates back to the Abbasid period 900 to 1100 AD, and it was a place where travelers could stay and rest from their long journeys along the trade line between Iraq, Oman, and even to India. In addition to the Mulsims coming to rest in the site from their long journeys on the way to Mecca for the Hajj.

Jumeirah Archaeological site 1969

The site included several houses, and among all, the ruler or the Wali house was the largest. It covered an area of 440 square meters, and great features of Islamic art and architecture are manifested in it. The Wali house also included guest rooms and spaces for welcoming visitors. In the site, Suq (market) is one of the main buildings. It included seven small shops attached together and divided / aligned around a walkway that is open to the large courtyard space. In the site, there is a Khan (hotel) that included the oldest known mosque in the UAE which spanned along an area of 49 square meters. The khan is one of the largest buildings in the site with an area of around one thousand square meters, and it included a total of fourteen rooms for guests. Being close to the sea, buildings in the site were mostly built from plaster stone. Many artifacts and antiques were unearthed. Some of which are ornaments, plaster works, coins, gold, and jewelry. All of the discovered pieces date back to the Abbasid period of Islam.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

7.4

Mleiha 1970

In the Arabian Gulf, exchanges of goods that date back to prehistory (before written records) were documented along the coastal lands. Exchanges occurred during the period of Um al-Nar 2500 – 2001 BC, Iron age 1200 – 600 BC, and the Achaemenid Period (Achaemenid Empire in modern day Iran) 550 – 330 BC. Mleiha site is best to express that period. Around fifty kilometers to the southeast of the city of Sharjah lies Mleiha, which is one of the oldest excavated archaeological sites in the UAE. The site was first discovered in 1970 with the finding of a tombstone inscribed in the Yemeni South-Arabian script. Then, in 1972, a team of Iraqi archaeologists started the excavating and exploring Mleiha.

Mleiha 1970

Then, in 1972, a team of Iraqi archaeologists started the excavating and exploring Mleiha. They found a large palace and a smaller mud brick structure that they thought was a tomb structure. Another main discovery was a handle of an amphora that is impressed with Greek stamps, which shows the direct interaction and trade between Greece and Mleiha as a gateway before entering Oman. Mleiha was visited by a team of French archaeologists later in 1986. The French team explored the widespread site that covered an area of 1.5 square kilometers that extends to the east of Jebel Faya. There they found evidence that date back to the bronze age such as a cemetery with bigger graves and another place where people used to smelt and manufacture copper and metal works. Several characteristics of material culture correspond to the local and regional interactions. The Abi’el coins, which are exclusively found in Mleiha and neighboring sites, tell the story of local commerce that occurred in that region. No Abi’el coins have ever been discovered in other parts of the Arabian Peninsula. This implies that this coinage was solely used in Mleiha and surrounding areas.

Mleiha Archaeological Center

In Mleiha, around a preserved circular tomb, with a diameter of 13.9 meters, that was built back in the period of Um al-Nar, lies the Mleiha Archaeological Center. The intention was to make the Tomb as the main attraction for visitors. The center was launched in 2016 by Sheikh Sultan Al Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah, and it was developed by Shurooq (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority). As the area was dating and being unnoticed by travelers, the authorities intended to retrieve life in the area with the creation of the archaeological center. The center, designed by Dabbagh Architects, has been an award-winning project once launched in 2016 in the Cityscape awards for community, culture, and tourism projects. The building design has three main features, a smooth and easy reach to the Um al-Nar tomb for visitors marked with the curved walls, a sloped promenade to the roof space and platform that allows for higher view of the site, and the exhibition space inside telling stories of the site and illustrating history of the ancient societies who were living there.

Mleiha Archaeological Center

During the period between the third century to the first century BC, goods only reached the site of Mleiha by camels. There were no ports between Qatar and the Strait of Hormuz, and neither there were any occupied coastal sites between Mleiha and the sea. This only changed when ed-Dour site was emerged.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

7.5

Ed-Dour site 1986

Close to Mleiha, on the coast of Um Al Qaiwain, ed-Dour port was one of the largest local towns in the Roman period. The Arabic name ed-Dour means “the houses.” The site is one of the lost cities, and it has been abandoned almost without trace. In 1986, an international effort to uncover the secrets of Ad Dour was launched by teams from France, Britain, Denmark, and Belgium, working in turn throughout the winter. They found that the extensive site beside the shallow lagoon was a favorite place for dwelling over a very long period of time. In the southern part of the dunes, a scatter of pottery and shells was left by seasonal settlers in the 3rd millennium BC.

Ed-Dour site 1986

Fireplaces have been uncovered, but there is still no trace of buildings found. In the northern part, however, a few walls reveal a settlement of Iron Age period. In the middle between North and South lies a very extensive town with many stone buildings of the first century AD. The most extraordinary building on site was uncovered by the Belgian team. The building covered an area of eight square meters, and it was impressive from the outside but had no good trace inside. The walls from the outside were coated in fine white plaster, marked as though they were beautifully carved fine stone masonry. The plaster decoration of an upper frieze was found fallen on the ground, and it enabled the archaeologists to calculate that the building once stood 2.4 meters high. When the large building fell into ruins, its site was used as a cemetery. Many graves were dug down, and along the graves were the ashes of fireplaces where ritual meals appeared to have been eaten.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES

7.6

Saruq Al Hadid 2002

The site was given its name because of its position between two hills. It was discovered by his highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid in 2002 as he was flying in the sky of the Empty Quarter desert 60 Kilometers south of Dubai. He noticed that there is an area of around 7 hectares where sand dunes behave differently, thus he felt that there was something important to be discovered in that area. Since 2002, more than 3500 archaeological artifacts have been found and unearthed in Saruq Al Hadid. Around 72 % of those pieces are arrowheads. The rest of the archaeologies vary between pottery, beads, copper vessels,

Saruq Al Hadid 2002

Several teams of archaeologists have visited the site since its discovery in 2002. A team of Spanish archaeologists who visited the site in 2007 have analyzed five earth layers of the area. They noticed an unusual concentration of slag fragments on the top surface, and the layer below contained few and small materials. The three layers below contained rich and varied material record. Those found archaeological pieces are now exhibited in Saruq Al Hadid temporary museum that takes place in the old historical house of Sheikh Jumaa Al Maktoum that was built in 1928 in Al Shandagha districts. The amount of the antiques found in Saruq Al Hadid archaeological site was magnificent compared to other archaeological site in the UAE and neighboring countries around the gulf. However, the antiques are, to some extent, similar in nature to those that are found in other sites. Archaeologists suggest that there were practices of ceremonial rituals and burial contexts.

Saruq Al Hadid 2002

In addition, Dr Mansour Braik, who is an archaeologist in Dubai municipality Architectural Heritage and Antiquities Department, suggested that the site was a place of smelting copper and metal and manufacturing tools, as well as exporting objects to other places and interacting with other civilizations around the world. Sheikh Zayed once said “he who does not know his past cannot make the best out of his present and future, for it is from the past that we learn” Choosing the logo of the Expo 2020 to be the golden ring found in the archaeological site of Saruq Al Hadid shows the great attention that the leadership of this country is giving to archaeology and past heritage of the country.

SECTION II CASE STUDIES Archaeology & Cultural Identity

1 Category

CASE STUDIES

HERITAGE & IDENTITY

Ancient Ring Gold ring 2500 - 3000 BC Saruq Al Hadid site

Year

Location

Architect

HERITAGE & IDENTITY

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM

Doha, Qatar 2016 2

30,064 m

Area

Ateliers Jean Nouvele

Architect Location

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI Ateliers Jean Nouvele Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 2017

Year

97,000 m

PEARLING SITE MUSEUM AND ENTRANCE

Area

Valerio Olgiati Al Muharraq, Bahrain 2019 2

6,726 m

101

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM The building design is inspired by a mineral formation commonly found in the deserts of the Gulf region. The system of interlocking disks surrounding the historic palace like necklace looks as if it’s been propagated organically. It incorporates exhibition spaces that fan out in an elliptical circuit around a central court, the Howsh, where outdoor cultural events will be staged. The desert-rose form evokes the culture and climate of Qatar. It emerges from the ground and merges with it. The shadows created by overhanging elements allow visitors to stroll around outside at the same time as protecting the interior from light and heat. The sand-colored concrete cladding is in harmony with the local environment.

The desert rose, a fragile formation of gypsum or barite crystals including sand grains, is gaining momentum as the new symbol of Qatar. Chosen by Jean Nouvel as an inspiration of his design for the new National Museum of Qatar which opened for the public in March 28 2019, the building, which encircles the first National Museum of the country, is intended to be both a monument and a metaphor: a huge sculpture that will pay tribute and encourage 103

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM The museum visit follows an elliptical circuit that gently rises and falls, evoking the natural undulations of the landscape. Large openings offer glimpses of the Howsh, the museum’s gardens, and Doha Bay. The permanent exhibitions, focusing on the environmental, cultural and political history of Qatar – from time immemorial to the present moment – are on display in eleven galleries. The visitor journey culminates in the old historic palace, one of the jewels of theNMoQ’s collections, which has now been restored to its original state.

105

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM The building is composed of large interlocking disks, spherical in section, and of different diameters and varying curvatures. Some disks are ‘horizontal’ and rest on other disks. The ‘vertical’ disks constitute the building’s support and transfer the loads of the horizontal planes to the base. Like the exterior, the interior is a landscape of interlocking disks. The finishes are neutral and monochromatic. The floors are sand-colored polished concrete with tiny mineral aggregates. The vertical walls are coated in stuc-pierre, or stone stucco, traditional gypsum and lime-blended plaster that provides a stone look. Ceilings are covered in a microporous acoustic plaster sprayed on mineral wool.

107

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM Along with exhibition areas, the museum contains a 213-seat auditorium, learning spaces, a research center, two shops, two cafes, a rooftop restaurant, and a park with a botanical garden, a sculpture garden, an artificial lagoon, a children playground, and various amenities.

109

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM

111

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM The museum also contains two shops, a book and gift shop and a children’s gift shop, installed in cavernous wooden spaces, designed by Australian architecture firm Koichi Takada Architects, whose forms were inspired by the Dahl Al Misfir (Cave of Light) cave in central Qatar. Replicating the connection between natural forms and architecture of Nouvel’s building, the shops were realized using 40,000 pieces of CNC-cut solid oak wood assembled on-site by Italian company Devoto Design to create a surprising canyon-like space.

113

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM Internally, the museum contains a 1.5-kilometer-long loop path which encircles a central courtyard, called Howsh in the Arabian language. The permanent exhibition unfolds along the path throughout a sequence of eleven interlocked galleries to present the history of Qatar by the means of about 8,000 objects – archaeological artifacts, artworks, textiles and garments, objects of decorative and applied arts, boats, machinery, jewels, books, natural history specimens, and historical documents – as well as through audiovisuals and interactive installations. The famous Pearl Carpet of Baroda – a late 18th-century Indian carpet embroidered with over one million pearls together with emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds – is certainly one of the most impressive pieces on view.

115

QATAR NATIONAL MUSEUM

117

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI

All climates like exceptions. Warmer when it is cold. Cooler in the tropics. People do not resist thermal shock well. Nor do works of art. Such elementary observations have influenced Louvre Abu Dhabi. It wishes to create a welcoming world serenely combining light and shadow, reflection and calm. It wishes to belong to a country, to its history, to its geography without becoming a flat translation, the pleonasm that results in boredom and convention. It also aims at emphasising the fascination generated by rare encounters.

119

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI

It is rather unusual to find a built archipelago in the sea. It is even more uncommon to see that it is protected by a parasol creating a rain of light. It is a project founded on a major symbol of Arab architecture: the dome. But here, with its evident shift from tradition, the dome is a modern proposal.

121

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI

A double dome 180 metres in diameter, offering horizontal, perfectly radiating geometry, a randomly perforated woven material, providing shade punctuated by bursts of sun. The dome gleams in the Abu Dhabi sunshine. At night, this protected landscape is an oasis of light under a starry dome. The dome’s complex pattern is the result of a highly studied geometric design. It involved close collaboration between the architectural design team at Ateliers Jean Nouvel and the structural engineers at BuroHappold Engineering. The pattern is repeated at various sizes and angles in the eight superimposed layers. Each ray of light must penetrate the eight layers before appearing then disappearing. The result is a cinematic effect as the sun’s path progresses throughout the day. At night, it forms 7,850 stars visible from both inside and out. Named the ‘rain of light’, this effect has been the subject of many models and mock-ups over the years and is one of the defining features of the concept.

123

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI It is both a calm and complex place. A contrast amongst a series of museums that cultivate their differences and their authenticities. Louvre Abu Dhabi becomes the final destination of an urban promenade, a garden on the coast, a cool haven, a shelter of light during the day and evening, its aesthetic consistent with its role as a sanctuary for the most precious works of art.

125

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI

127

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI

129

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI Pritzker-prize winning architect Jean Nouvel sought inspiration for the concept of Louvre Abu Dhabi in traditional Arabic architectural culture. Taking a contextual approach to the site, Nouvel designed Louvre Abu Dhabi as a ‘museum city’ in the sea. Its contrasting series of white buildings take inspiration from the medina and low-lying Arab settlements. In total, 55 individual buildings, including 23 galleries, make up this museum city. The façades of the buildings are made up of 3,900 panels of ultra-high performance fibre concrete (UHPC).

131

LOUVRE MUSEUM ABU DHABI

PROGRAM 2

ADMINISTRATION

1007 m

AUDITORIUM

996 m

COLLECTION TREATMENT

2267 m

CHILDREN MUSEUM

380 m

TEMPORARY EXHIBITIONS

3122 m

PERMANENT GALLERIES

9902 m

CAFETERIA

1227 m

ENTRANCES & CHECKPOINTS

3007 m

133

PEARLING SITE MUSEUM AND ENTRANCE

The site contains ruins that form part of the UNESCO Pearling Path. The entire building functions as the entrance to the cultural heritage and the foyer for the medina. It is an urban room for the people of Muharraq with the scale of a public park. Concrete elements are placed along the property boundary to form a new locus in the dense city.

135

PEARLING SITE MUSEUM AND ENTRANCE

A large space is created in which a forest of columns and wind towers hold a horizontal plate 10 meters above ground. A roof, understood as an archaic gesture, donates vital shadows for the people of Muharraq in this very hot climate and produces a new and unique situation through its different scale.

137

PEARLING SITE MUSEUM AND ENTRANCE

The building is an urban room for the people of Muharraq with the scale of a public park. Concrete elements are placed along the property boundary to form a new locus in the dense medina. A roof, understood as an archaic gesture, donates vital shadows for the people of Muharraq in this very hot climate and produces a new and unique situation through its different scale. As a totality the building creates a universe in itself that is the entrance for the Pearling Path and the city beyond.

139

PEARLING SITE MUSEUM AND ENTRANCE

The building’s roof, columns, walls, and landscaping are a colored, cast in-situ concrete that Olgiati has also used in other projects to great effect. Ranging from pink to red to grey, the surfaces of the building bear the marks of the formwork used in its construction. Punching through the thin roof slab is a network of arrow-shaped holes oriented in different directions.

141

PEARLING SITE MUSEUM AND ENTRANCE

This angular geometry is echoed in the sculptural columns and gently sloping walls that define both the perimeter of the building and the interior space containing the museum — attention to detail that extends from the largest roof opening to the smallest chamfer on the building’s external walls. Even the ventilation hatches in the museum’s interior echo the geometry of the roof openings.

143

PEARLING SITE MUSEUM AND ENTRANCE Stripped back and almost archaic, the materiality and geometry of the building interrelate to form a consistent sense of interiority – one has the sense that the building is its own consistent universe with a clear formal language. In this building, Olgiati has used a refined sense of archaic simplicity to form a new kind of contextually relevant public space.

145

Category Category

CASE STUDIES

147

ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUMS

Year

Location

Architect

ARCHAEOLOGY MUSEUMS

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

Athens, Greece 2009 2

23,000 m

Area

Bernard Tschumi Architects

Architect Location

ERLITOU SITE MUSEUM OF THE XIA CAPITAL TJAD Rurban Studio Luoyang, China

Year

2019 2

31,781 m

MUSEALIZATION OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF PRACA

Area

Carrilho da Graça Arquitectos Lisboa, Portugal 2010 2

3,500 m

149

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM Located in the historic of Makryianni district, the Museum stands less than 1,000 feet southeast of the Parthenon. The topfloor Parthenon Gallery offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the Acropolis and modern Athens. The Museum is entered from the Dionysios Areopagitou pedestrian street, which links it to the Acropolis and other key archeological sites in Athens.

151

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM With 8,000 square meters (90,000 square feet) of exhibition space and a full range of visitor amenities, the Acropolis Museum tells the story of life on the Athenian Acropolis and its surroundings by uniting collections formerly dispersed in multiple institutions, including the small Acropolis Museum built in the 19th century.

153

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM The rich collections provide visitors with a comprehensive picture of the human presence on the Acropolis, from pre-historic times through late antiquity. Integral to this program is the display of an archeological excavation on the site: ruins from the 4th through 7th centuries A.D., left intact and protected beneath the building and made visible through the first floor. Other program facilities include a 200-seat auditorium.

155

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM Designed with spare horizontal lines and utmost simplicity, the Museum is deliberately non-monumental, focusing the visitor’s attention on extraordinary works of art. With the greatest possible clarity, the design translates programmatic requirements into architecture. The collection consists primarily of works of sculpture, many of them architectural pieces that originally decorated the monuments of the Acropolis, so the building that exhibits them is a museum of ambient natural light. The use of various types of glass allows light to flood into the top-floor Parthenon Gallery, to filter through skylights into the archaic galleries, and to penetrate the core of the building, gently touching the archeological excavation below the building.

157

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM

The collection is installed in chronological sequence, from pre-history through the late Roman period, but reaches its high point (literally and programmatically) with the Parthenon Frieze. The visitor’s route is therefore a clear, three-dimensional loop. It goes up from the lobby via escalator to the double-height galleries for the Archaic period; upward again by escalator to the Parthenon Gallery; then back down to the Roman Empire galleries and out toward the Acropolis itself. The base hovers over the excavation on more than 100 slender concrete pillars. This level contains the lobby, temporary exhibition spaces, museum store, and support facilities.

159

NEW ACROPOLIS MUSEUM The top is the rectangular, glass-enclosed, skylit Parthenon Gallery, over 7 meters high and with a floor space of over 2,050 square meters (22,100 square ft). It is shifted 23 degrees from the rest of the building to orient it directly toward the Acropolis. Here the building’s concrete core, which penetrates upward through all levels, becomes the surface on which the marble sculptures of the Parthenon Frieze are mounted. The core allows natural light to pass down to the Caryatids on the level below.

PROGRAM 2

EXHIBITION SPACE

14,000 m

THEATER

250 m

RESTAURANT

400 m

TERRACE

370 m

SHOPS

250 m

161

ERLITOU SITE MUSEUM OF THE XIA CAPITAL

As the capital site of the Xia Dynasty, which was recognized as the earliest dynasty of China, Erlitou relic has a history of about 3,800 years and it was the largest capital settlement in China and even in East Asia at that time. The main features of the museum are as follows: Preserving the existing ambiance of the historic site. The concept of the architecture originates from a photograph that captured the winding and irregular extending state of the Erlitou archaeological discovery site.

163

ERLITOU SITE MUSEUM OF THE XIA CAPITAL

Through creating a gradually changing spatial sequence the architects designed the museum that presents an “amorphous” state, which echoes the original state of the Erlitou historic site and avoiding single interpretation as well. Using cooper, rammed earth, and exposed concrete as a major building material. The choice of the building materials and construction methods was inspired by the Erlitou culture. Since the earliest bronze workshops and several large rammed earth wall buildings were found here, we decided to adopt copper sheet curtain wall, rammed earth technique, and exposed concrete as the primary construction methods. Among them, the total amount of rammed earth exceeds 4,000m³, making it the largest single raw earth building in the world.

165

ERLITOU SITE MUSEUM OF THE XIA CAPITAL

167

ERLITOU SITE MUSEUM OF THE XIA CAPITAL

169

ERLITOU SITE MUSEUM OF THE XIA CAPITAL Proposing a new integrated planning idea for Heritage Park and rural settlement development. On the premise of ensuring Erlitou historic site and Jing(Chinese Character)-shaped Avenue can be fully displayed, the park’s service facilities were constructed intensively with the existing villages, to increase employment opportunities and to promote the renewal of infrastructure for the village.

171

ERLITOU SITE MUSEUM OF THE XIA CAPITAL In particular, the tourist center was built combined with the overall planning and construction of the village in the southwest, forming a new pattern of integrating the East and the West with the Historic Museum as the center.

173

MUSEALIZATION OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF PRACA

175

MUSEALIZATION SITE OF PRACA MusealizationOFofTHE theARCHAEOLOGICAL Archaeological Site of Praça The one hill occupied by the Castle of São Jorge is the site of the first known human settlement — dating to the Iron Age — of the place that would become the city of Lisbon, a strategic vantage point overlooking both the estuary of the River Tagus and its inland territory. The ‘Praça Nova’ of the Castle occupies an intramural promontory, enclosed by defense walls to the North and the West, and by the Santa Cruz Church, to the South, with a visual domain above the East walls over the city and the estuary.

177

MUSEALIZATION OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF PRACA This intervention addressed the themes of protection, revelation and readability of the palimpsest that any such excavation represents, with a pragmatical approach aimed at clarifying the palindromic quality of interpretation that the exposed structures suggested in their spacial distribution.

Thus, the first action was the clear delimitation of the site with a precise incision, comparable to that of a surgical intervention on a living body. A membrane of corten steel was inserted to contain the higher perimetrical surface, allowing both access and a panoramic view of the site, the materiality of these walls slowly evolving and changing over time as a living material. The same precision of cut was used in the inserted elements that allow the visitor to comfortably wander through the site — the limestone steps, landings and seating — setting them apart from the roughness of the excavated walls.

179

MUSEALIZATION OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF PRACA Underlying the whole site, the evidence of the Iron Age settlement is exposed and protected trough a self-contained volume that, in a spiraled movement, extends from the perimetrical corten walls to embrace the depth necessary to its revelation. Massive and dramatic, the volume is pierced with horizontal slits that invite the curiosity for the observation of its interior, leading the visitor around the excavated pit to the point where the view is unobstructed and both the physical and time distance of the exhibited structures is made obvious.

Further down the site and its timeline, the necessary canopy for the protection of the Eleventh Century Muslim domestic structures and its frescoes was taken as an opportunity to reproduce, through conjectural interpretation, its spacial experience as a series of independent rooms arranged around a patio that introduced light and ventilation into an otherwise exteriorly isolated dwelling. Professedly abstract and scenographic, the white walls that stage the domestic spatiality of the two excavated dwellings float above the visible foundations of the original walls, touching the ground on the mere six points where the evidence of the primeval limits is absent, while its translucent covering of polycarbonate and wood filters the sunlight.

181

3 Category

CASE STUDIES

183

RESEARCH CENTERS

Year

Location

Architect

RESEARCH CENTERS

KOREAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

Doha, Qatar 2016 2

2,497 m

Area

Hohyun Park + Hyunjoo

Architect Location

GC PROSTHO MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER Kengo Kuma & Associates Kasugai-shi, Japan 2010

Year

626 m

LEMBAH BUJANG ARCHEOLOGICAL RESEARCH CENTER

Area

Ateliers Jean Nouvele Kedah, Malaysia 2011 2

55,442 m

185

KOREAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT Korean Institute for Archaeology & Environment was founded as an artifacts research center as part of Korea University’s Archaeology Department in 1995. In 2006, research center changed its name to current name. Major activities are excavation, research, publication, exhibition, and seminars. Since its foundation in 1995, the research institute has grown and existing facilities (within Korea University’s Sejong Campus) are not enough to provide good research environment. So, new research center was planned in early 2009.

187

KOREAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT The site is located nearby the Sejong campus. Most of surrounding area is farmland and our site is next to proposed road, which will be constructed in few years. Current access to the site is limited from a small unpaved road on south east side. The building is planned to be situated parallel to the proposed road. Since north east side of the site is 3 meter lower than south west of the site, placing of the building is planned at south west of the site in order to reduce earth works.

189

KOREAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT The building consists of two asymmetrical wings and a central core. Most of research activities are programmed at the long wing (called research wing), where research offices and storage for artifacts are located. The short wing (called seminar wing) is space for seminars, library, and meetings. The research wing is divided into a brick finished storage on 1st floor and a lava stone finished research offices on 2nd & 3rd Floor by shifting of upper mass about 2 meters. An exposed translucent polycarbonate finished staircase and terrace space at 2nd floor are situated in this gap. Cafeteria on 4th floor is accessed through the rooftop garden. Since there are no big buildings around, cafeteria has a great view through full glass windows.

Circulation of the building is divided into two. One is for moving artifacts and the other is for researchers. Due to its function, artifacts loading space was planned at the south end on 1st floor. All the process of cleaning, photographing, and storing is started from this loading space. Two staircases were required by local law and U-shaped staircase is planned as a major vertical circulation and a straight run staircase, which connect lobby to research office on 2nd and 3rd floor, is designed for more efficient moving.

191

KOREAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT The design focused on making many rest space. By placing big and small terraces at many places, research space becomes more efficient and by adding an exposed translucent staircase on simple and linear form, the design aimed to create fun and efficient space.

193

KOREAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHAEOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT

PROGRAM

OFFICE

530 m

AUDITORIUM

180 m

PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO

28 m

ARTIFACT ARCHIVE

170 m

GUEST ROOMS

35 m

LIBRARY

180 m

CAFETERIA

260 m

MEETING ROOMS

78 m

195

GC PROSTHO MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER

This is architecture that originates from the system of Cidori, an old Japanese toy. Cidori is an assembly of wood sticks with joints having unique shape, which can be extended merely by twisting the sticks, without any nails or metal fittings. The tradition of this toy has been passed on in Hida Takayama, a small town in a mountain, where many skilled craftsmen still exist.

197

GC PROSTHO MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER Famous all over the world for his walls decorated with parametric motifs, with which he underlines the beauty of natural cladding materials, Kengo Kuma surprises us once again with his high impact GC Prostho Museum Research Center in Kasugai-shi, Japan. Marking another milestone in the study of the relationship between architecture, design and graphics, the project dematerialises the architectural volume itself, so that it takes on the weight of a simple, regular three-dimensional shape suitable for experimenting with the expressive power of the façade, of decoration, and of two-dimensional design in relation to the buildings surroundings, in this case to the city.

199

GC PROSTHO MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER Cidori has a wood 12 mm square as its element, which for this building was transformed into different sizes. Parts are 60mm×60mm×200cm or 60mm×60mm×400cm, and form a grid of 50cm square. This cubic grid also becomes the grid on its own for the showcase in the museum.

201

GC PROSTHO MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER

The cement structure of the GC Prostho Museum Research Center has a rectangular floor plan on 3 levels surrounded by a parametric decorative system formed of cypress wood elements generating regular prismatic combinations created with interlocking joints. This detail, which is repeated over and over again to cover almost all the cement, is made even more poetic by Kuma?s explanation that he drew his inspiration from a well-known Japanese toy, Cidori, a miniature construction made of wooden rods 12 mm long which are fitted together by simply joining and rotating the parts.

Jun Sato, structural engineer for the project, conducted a compressive and flexure test to check the strength of this system, and verified that even the device of a toy could be adapted to ‘big’ buildings. This architecture shows the possibility of creating a universe by combining small units like toys with your own hands. We worked on the project in the hope that the era of machine-made architectures would be over, and human beings would build them again by themselves.

203

GC PROSTHO MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER

205

GC PROSTHO MUSEUM RESEARCH CENTER

PROGRAM 2

COMMUNAL SPACE

25 m

Architecture Thesis Book - Treasures of the Past

Articles inside

Understanding Cultural Identity